Wife wants a nice knife set for christmas, what to get?

[familyguy]

My wife says she wants a decent set of knives and a block to keep them in. She doesn't want knives for us to eat with, just for food preparation. She's had many a $30 wal-mart knife/block sets. I want to get her something nice but also have a limited budget. I looked on ebay to see what brands are out there but unfortunately don't know what's good and what's bad. I am hoping to find something nice for $100 but can go as high as $150. What do you all suggest? She is doing normal kitchen stuff for our family of 4 and likes to have family get togethers, she really does a lot in the kitchen and I would like to get her something she will enjoy.

Thanks for you suggestions!
--R

 

[kitchenelf]

Hi familyguy!! Welcome to the board.

Knives are really expensive and in my opinion it is better to have one $100.00 knife than a whole set for $99.99.

I would look for Wusthof - 8" chef's knife - it's around $90.00 or one of my all-time favorite knives is the one sold on the Food TV Network -

WUSTHOF 7 IN. SANTOKU KNIFE HOLLOW EDGE - It is a great knife!!!

Make sure she has a steel to sharpen her knives each and every time she uses them - really, really, helps.

Wow - I've been doing a little search and I think I have a winner here -

Wusthof Classic Cook's Set (4 Pieces) $149.95

Scroll down the page, I think it's the 4th set down - that's a winner in my book!!!!!

The 7" Santoku is a great option if you want to keep it even cheaper though - just be sure she has a steel. I use this knife for LOTS AND LOTS of things. It gets used every day - but the link above to the the set of Wusthof is a nice dream set.

 

[Sam Salmon]

I couldn't agree more as to the Wusthoff product.

I've just bought 2 and couldn't be happier with the quality of the knife/the balance and feel of the handle in my hand as I work is second to none.

 

[GJWhite]

Global knives aren't too shabby. I also have a Cutco chef's knife and it's worked very well for me. As an added bonus it has, like Rolex and Craftsman, a lifetime garantee. Send the knife back at any time and they'll resharpen it free of charge.

 

[BubbaGourmet]

Another brand to consider is the Victorinox stamped line with the thermo-plastic handles. Several reviews have picked this 3rd or 4th place of ALL knife brands and they are really reasonable. I bought one to try and i was impressed though I typically favor a forged knife.